Re: Furry Racism At The Pound: Why Is It Harder For Black Cats To Find Homes?

I think it actually stems from that dark age patronizing the witches, that up until even today is done. If you look at the all the cartoons, comics, kid shows, old stories, superstitions... there is a link to the ohhh black cats live with evil pagan witches.

Re: Furry Racism At The Pound: Why Is It Harder For Black Cats To Find Homes?

I worked at the ASPCA years ago at adoption and found that all black cats and all white cats are not on the top of the list. I personally like orange cats the best. My cat Pumpkin has a fluffy light orange coat and before her Cookie was a gorgeous orange/white boy with long hair. Both of them very mellow and docile.

Re: Furry Racism At The Pound: Why Is It Harder For Black Cats To Find Homes?

I've heard the same about all-black cats, but I wonder if the adoption rate of all-white cats varies from place to place, as I haven't heard that before.

I have heard that people tend to favor orange tabbies for adoption, probably the bright coloring.

Probably the biggest systematized color selection you will find in breeding. For example when the German Shepherd (Alsatian) breed was being formed, the focus was on intelligence and character, not neglecting strength speed and these other attributes typically useful on German farms.

To establish this, some all-white individuals were used heavily in the early development of the breed.

However once the breed was established visuals started playing a big role beyond use of signs of health and of useful physical development. At this point black was favored, tan allowed in patches but generally less favorable, and white actually well outside standards.

Hitler (who I happen to overall like) took an interest in this and was involved in supporting this new breed standard, I have heard.

Since then the breed in the US has deterriorated, as they now seem to breed primarily for a back hip bone that makes the dog look triangular, sacrificing much of the health and some of the intelligence and personality for this.

This has occured since I grew up was a GSD who was born in the 1970s.

A better approximation of the original goals of the breed can be had by importing from E. Europe--or found in some non-show-quality white GSD as the lack of ability to show them given their coloring put less stress on the idea their hips should be totally deformed for making an increasingly unusual triangular shape.

Sad fate for a fine breed.

(Compare the hips of the old breed to the ideal of the new, recognizing that though in the latter diagram the shape is partially a matter of simple posing, this has tended to be accentuated over the years to the point it now involves deforming the hips such that the healthy shape of the dog in the above picture is history.)

Quote:

Originally Posted by granada

I worked at the ASPCA years ago at adoption and found that all black cats and all white cats are not on the top of the list. I personally like orange cats the best. My cat Pumpkin has a fluffy light orange coat and before her Cookie was a gorgeous orange/white boy with long hair. Both of them very mellow and docile.

Re: Furry Racism At The Pound: Why Is It Harder For Black Cats To Find Homes?

I love all kitties, but I am very particular about the ones I have in my house. For some reason, I am more drawn to short-haired gray tabbys, all black, or Russian Blues. I don't particularly care for orange, white, torties, or cats with spots. And the head shape- I like the sleeker, more triangle shaped heads. Not fond of "apple head" cats. And, I prefer males over females (that goes for dogs too).

I attached a picture of our cat.

We got him for my daughter's birthday...hilariously enough, she named him "Cracker".

Re: Furry Racism At The Pound: Why Is It Harder For Black Cats To Find Homes?

I got my cat by cat sitting over the summer while a grad student went back to Europe. I grew attached to the cat and he no longer wanted him. He's grey and black. I really don't care about the color, but the personality of the animal.

Re: Furry Racism At The Pound: Why Is It Harder For Black Cats To Find Homes?

Because of the superstitious BS regarding black cats...
Even though many know it's superstitious, they try to avoid it (maybe unconsciously) just to be sure. Just like people don't want to walk under a ladder, they don't walk under it just to be on the safe side, just in case something bad does happen from doing that.